the white house plan is asking for $1.6 trillion, which is double that. why did president obama put forth such an aggressive plan, as many are calling it? this is really a serious offer. >> first of all i'd like our republican friends to stop a war on the working people of america. that is what the ultimate nonaction will impact. i think the president has made it very clear that he is responding to the affirmation of his position on november 6th, 2012. but he is not in any way hesitant to negotiate. $2.4 trillion were the bush tax cuts that resulted in this enormous deficit, because in the 199os, we had a $5.6 trillion surplus. what the president is trying to do is to give relief to working people, and as well provide revenue to continue to support the needs of this nation. such as mayor bloomberg, who's just come to washington and asked for an enormous amount of money, rightly so, to help those who've been victims of hurricane sandy. so the president is not in any way suggesting that he's not willing to negotiate. he asked the questions, when are the rep